Monsters University (2013) Reviews

• Finally and thankfully… Pixar does it again!

  Joejoesan2013-06-09

  Of all the Pixar movies Monsters Inc. has always been my absolute favorite. The incredible story of the remarkable friendship between Sully, Mike and Boo made me watch the movie more than 10-15 times already. When it was released on blu-ray I was the first one to buy it. So when Pixar announced another Monsters movie I got concerned. How could Pixar make a better movie than the original? Or even one that equalled it? But having seen the movie last week I can ensure you all: Pixar is back on top. Monsters University is great fun and it's Pixar best since Up!. Monsters University, a prequel to Monsters Inc., begins with a young and very little Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) still in primary school. After a field trip to Monsters Inc. he has only one dream: to become a scarer. Years later he arrives at Monsters University but soon learns he still has a long way to go. His main problem? Mike isn't scary at all. He befriends his roommate young Randall (Steve Buscemi), who at that time is an unimportant loser (and later gets seduced by the dark side). The first night he makes an enemy out of Sully (John Goodman), a freshman who thinks that his family name (of legendary scarers) is enough to get him through school. A personal vendetta is born. Things go wrong when Mike and Sully accidentally destroy a sacred item that belongs to the devilish Dean Hardscrabble (a brilliant Helen Mirren). They get expelled from all Scare Classes and will not graduate as a real Scarer. Luckily Mike comes up with a plan, a bet with the dean. If he finds a team to compete in the Scare Games and if he indeed wins, he's allowed to follow the Scare Classes until the end. Dean Hardscrabble approves. Now it's up to Mike, Sully and his team of losers to work as a team and go the distance… In Monsters University the Scare Games are very well done. I can see both kids and adults laughing their socks off when Mike and Sully, in the same team but still enemies, are doing their first race and try not to step on the items that make their body grow. Bizarre, but hilarious! Their next assignment, when they have to steal something in the library, is also a winner. But what really works in Monsters University is that the story is mainly about friendship. We not only see how Mike and Sully turn from big enemies into big friends; they become soul mates for life. To join the Scare Games Mike must find five extra members to form a team and the only ones left are a bunch of nerds that no one pays attention to and a big blue monster that he absolutely hates (Sully). Still Mike succeeds in making it work. Even when you know that Mike and Sully will win the Scare Games (that isn't a spoiler, is it?), this film isn't predictable at all. It doesn't end with Sully holding up the Scare cup but it takes one more great scene to bring Mike and Sully definitely together. I will not spoil it for you, but it involves a door to the human world and a little green monster that's depressed. Monsters University is a great film. It's both funny and sentimental in all the right places. Fans of the first movie will see a lot of cameos in this one (Yeti!). The story ends when Monsters Inc. begins. I will even advise the next generation to see Monsters University first and then go on to Monsters Inc. Yeah, my faith in Pixar is restored. Although I must confess that with Planes coming up, things can change very fast in the wrong direction. But maybe that's because I have never liked the Cars movie. 9/10

• Pleasant Story of Friendship

  claudio_carvalho2014-02-09

  When Mike Wazowski is young, he visits the Monsters University in a tour of his primary school. A senior student gives his hat to Mike and he plans to become a scary monster. Years later, Mike joins the Monsters University and on the arrival, he receives a flier of the Scare Games that will take place soon in the campus. Mike also befriends his roommate Randall. When the lazy student James P. "Sully" Sullivan, who belongs to a family of famous "scarers", breaks in his room, they start a competition in class. Their dispute ends when they accidentally break the pride and of joy of Dean Abigail Hardscrabble, a cylinder with her greatest achievement – a powerful scream of a boy. They both are expelled from the scare classes by Hardscrambble that tells that Sully is lazy and Mike is not scary, and they become enemies. When Mike recalls the Scare Games, he sees his only chance to return to the scare course. He makes the application to participate, but he learns that he needs a fraternity. Mike joins the Oozma Kappa that is the only fraternity available with four losers, but he is informed that the fraternity needs to have six members. Sully offers to complete the team and Mike has no other alternative but accept Sully in his team. Then he bets with Hardscrambble that if he wins the games, she will accept them in the scare classes. Soon the game begins... "Monsters University" is a pleasant story of friendship and a prequel of "Monsters Inc.". The plot is based on the American college life and despite the lack of any identification with my country, with fraternities and silly parties of American college students, the plot is funny and entertaining. My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): "Universidade Monstros" ("Monsters University")

• Nostalgic film for the old and young

  clumbj2013-07-17

  The first Monsters Inc. came out when i was just 7 years old and immediately became one of my all time favourites from the day I saw it. With extremely high expectations in mind and excitement especially for Pixar's close attention to relevance (as I am actually at university now myself) I went to see the new one as soon as it came out. The film is a prequel following closely to our much loved earlier Characters, Mike and later Sully as they present to us their lives prior to the first movie. As well as an adorable new cast of monsters which are equally lovable as the old ones. To my delight, the film exceeded most if not all my earlier expectations. The plot is well written, funny and most of all extremely heart warming especially to long time fans like myself as well as those younger viewers that might not have even seen the first one. The nostalgic element of the film is perhaps the most well written. Every twist and turn reveals a huge or tiny explanation to the events and habits of the characters that I previously saw in the first film. Questions I never even asked myself, like why Randall's eyes are so squinty or how Sully and Randall's rivalry originated. Although i absolutely loved the movie, perhaps its because I've waited for 12 years but at some points it left me slightly unsatisfied and I'd have loved for some parts to be explained more thoroughly. Regardless of my only criticism, the movie made me laugh, cried with tears of joy, almost actually cried and was both heart warming and action packed. What more could you ask for? I urge those fans of the first film as well as anyone that just wants to have a good time at the cinema to see it. It'll be well worth your time!

• Monsters University: A worthy prequel

  Platypuschow2017-07-11

  I adored Monsters Inc, it was one of those surprise movies you go into with no expectations and are blown away by. It took years for me to get round to this due to my endless watchlist but I'm so happy I can say that it's worth of the the franchise. Charming, well written, full of laugh out loud moments and undeniably loyal to the original movie with tie-ins around every corner. I especially liked Helen Mirrens character, part monster, part bat, part centipede? I like centipedes, I wanted to be an entomologist once upon a time, obsessed over bugs, learnt all about them then learnt about these things called university, qualifications and effort and thought against it. I'll leave entomology to those with motivation, you enjoy your bugs and I'll enjoy women, movies, video games and various other fun stuff. I digress, Monsters University is a sweet heartfelt movie and makes me hope they make a final part to make a monsters trilogy. Maybe touching upon certain events that happened in this as opposed to it's sequel. Sadly I don't see this happening, I think we have more likelihood of a Princess Bride 2, Brave 2 or a movie where Zac Efron doesn't play an arrogant douche who likes to take his shirt off.

• I guess that for once I was easy to please!

  MartinHafer2013-06-23

  " Monsters University" is a new film from Pixar that is a prequel to their film "Monsters Inc.". In addition to the two main characters, a whole lot of new characters are introduced at the college that Mike and Sully attended. The plot involves Mike trying to become a 'scaring major'—something quite unthinkable since he isn't the least bit scary. There's a lot more to the film than this, but I won't spoil it by saying more about the plot. My daughter was lucky enough to go to the debut of "Monsters University". She liked it but also felt the story was disappointing since it lacked original characters and the story reminded her of too many college films (like "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Animal House"). My wife saw it with me and she said that the film put her to sleep! This is all very odd, as I am usually the most difficult to please in the family when it comes to films—yet I thoroughly enjoyed the film and nearly gave it a 9. While I would agree it lacks originality, it did make me smile. It was a nice, gentle film—one that I didn't mind just watching without picking it apart (like I usually do). Much of this is because the CGI was simply gorgeous and It was a pleasure watching such a beautiful film…as well as such a nice and enjoyable film.